


The Saga of Sigrun Erlendsdottir and Leman, King of the Russ

by kishiriaz



Category: Horus Heresy - Various Authors
Genre: F/M, Norse saga, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-23
Updated: 2014-05-23
Packaged: 2018-01-26 05:18:44
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,045
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1676156
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kishiriaz/pseuds/kishiriaz
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>One lovely summer on Fenris....</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Saga of Sigrun Erlendsdottir and Leman, King of the Russ

Now this is how the marriage of Sigrun Erlendsdottir and Leman, King of the Russ took place.

There was a man whose name was Erlend Erlendsson, and he lived in what is now Knutskaven.

He had three sons, and a daughter Sigrun, and his wife was named Unna. 

He was accounted a fair man and a bold one, and he had fields and thralls and many sheep and swine. His wife was known to be a spae-wife and one who could heal with magic and herbs. She taught her daughter, and Sigrun followed Unna in wisdom.

The time came for the Althing, and Unna said to Erlend, I will go with you.

I wish to bring Sigrun and her brothers, so that they can see and be seen by other young people, for she is fifteen winters and her brothers old enough to consider marriage.  
Erlend Erlendsson said, this sounds agreeable to me.

This was when Oll Eriksson was Lawspeaker over the Russ.

So Erlend Erlendsson went to the Althing with his wife and children. They found their friends, and several of them had law cases for which they wanted Erlend as witness. One of them was named Thorstein Egilsson, and he had a son named Olav who was seventeen winters old.

Erlend Erlendsson went with his wife and daughter to the tent of Thorstein Egilsson. After Thorstein had told him the news, he said to Erlend, do you see my son Olav here?

Erlend said he did, and introduced his daughter Sigrun.

Thorstein Egilsson asked Sigrun what she thought of his son Olav. Sigrun said that she found him fair, but that if a betrothal was what he wanted, she would like to delay her answer till the end of the Althing. Everyone found this wise.

That night was the first sumbel of the Althing. All were gathered around the fires to eat and drink, to make boasts and brags. That night, Sigrun Erlendsdottir laid eyes on Leman, King of the Russ.

She beheld his massive size, his long red braids into which were plaited teeth and talismans. She beheld his two great wolves, the size of small horses. She heard his voice, and his laugh, and observed the joy with which he ate and drank. He was great in his boasts.

Sigrun decided that this was the man for her, and that she would have none other.

She looked at the great wolves and thought they might assist her.

Sigrun gave thought to how she might attract the wolf-king’s attention, and by dawn she had a plan. She spent the day with the other maidens and boys, passing the time with archery, and tafl, and other games and sports. During the day, other young men asked if they could ask her father about her and she would respond, you can surely ask.

That night, before the feast, Sigrun went to a tent where the family had a bitch in heat. Sigrun hugged and played with the dog, not caring if she came to the feast with animal hair on the blue apron dress she wore over her linen tunic. Her mother Unna was displeased with her when she appeared so, but Sigrun did not mind. Sigrun’s womb was ripe and moist, just as the bitch’s had been, so she had to await her moment.

When the Wolf-King discreetly exited towards the latrines, Sigrun did as well. She waited for him to emerge, then cautiously approached the wolves who followed him everywhere. One of them turned away and leapt towards her, knocking her over and delighting in her scent.

The Wolf King was immediately there, pulling the wolf from her and saying, Maiden, are you all right? Has Geri harmed you? Let me take you to your father.

He extended a hand to her, and Sigrun took it, feeling it dry, and warm, and hardened with work and battle. She said she was very all right.

Leman of the Russ’s nostrils flared and he asked her name. Sigrun knew he had her own scent. She told him her name and the names of her parents.

Leman found her fair. Sigrun was a tall girl, strongly built and deep bosomed. He asked her if she were betrothed, and she said some wanted to ask her father about her, but that she did not wish to give an answer until the end of the Althing.

Leman said, when my wolf knocked you down, you did not scream.

Sigrun said, I did not want to waste my breath before a fight.

Leman said, tell me more. So she said she liked to be called Sigi, and that she was fifteen winters old, and that her mother Unna had taught her spae-craft and rune-craft , the healing arts and the household arts.

They spoke for a long time, and then Leman gave her a ring, telling her not to show it till the end of the Althing. They slipped into the woods and lay together, although Leman did not take her virginity at that time. Nonetheless, they each pleased the other.

The remaining days of the Althing passed slowly. During the day, Sigrun said she would think about betrothals. At night, she and the Wolf-king would meet, guarded by his two wolf-brothers.

Finally, on the last day, Olav Thorsteinsson asked Erlend Erlendsson for Sigrun’s hand in marriage. When Erlend asked his daughter, she said she had promised herself to another. Thorstein Egilsson was furious, and demanded satisfaction, but Sigrun showed them the ring of Leman of the Russ. So Erlend Erlendsson went with Unna and their daughter to the Wolf-king and asked, have you spoken of betrothal to our daughter? And the Wolf-king said, I have. They then decided the wedding feast would take place at the winter solstice.

And this is how Sigrun Erlendsdottir was wed to Leman of the Russ, and went to live with him. She was living with him when the All-Father came to Fenris, and at that time he gave her shield maidens and power armour of her very own. Sigrun defended Fenris as a warrior for a long, long time, and bore Leman children, also raising some he brought to her for upbringing. She was counted as a great queen all her life.


End file.
